CHAPTER XX ADAM'S PENITENCE [24A. i.] "So he drove out the man" (Gen. 3:24). Driving out (i.e.) and he went forth outside the garden of Eden (and he abode) [ The MS. does not read: “and he abode.” This is the reading of the first editions. Jalḳuṭ, Gen. § 34 (end), adds: “outside the garden of Eden.” The new abode of Adam was near the garden of Eden. The Midrash appears to understand, Gen. 3:24, thus: “So he drove out the man and he dwelt at the east of the garden of Eden.” This Haggadic interpretation already appears in the LXX.] on Mount Moriah, for the gate of the garden of Eden is nigh unto Mount Moriah. [ See T.B. ‘Erubin, 19a. Beth-Shan is described as the door to Palestine; see J.Q.R. v. p. 148, where Origen’s Midrash about the garden of Eden being the centre of the world is quoted. As to where the garden of Eden was believed to be, see Delitzsch, Wo lag das Paradies, pp. 45 ff.] Thence He took him and thither He made him return to the place whence he was taken, as it is said, "To till the ground from whence he was taken" (ibid. 23). [ Instead of this quotation the first editions cite Gen. 2:15: “And the Lord God took the man,” and then they add: “From what place did He take him? From the place of the Temple, as it is said: ‘To till the ground from whence he was taken’” (Gen. 3:23).]
Rabbi Jehudah said: The Holy One, blessed be He, kept the Sabbath [ “In the heavens” is also added by Shocher Ṭob, p. 203a, but it is wanting in the first editions of our book; see supra, pp. 125 f. The idea of Sabbath being observed in heaven occurs in Jubilees ii. 18; see previous chapter in our book, p. 138.] first in the heavenly regions, and Adam kept the || Sabbath first in the lower regions. The Sabbath day protected him from all evil, and comforted [ See supra, pp. 125 f.] him on account of all the doubts of his heart, as it is said, "In the multitude of my doubts within me, thy comforts delight my soul" (Ps. 94:19).
Rabbi Joshua ben Ḳorchah said: From the tree under which they hid themselves, [ See the Book of Adam and Eve (ed. Malan) 1. xxxvi.] they took leaves and sewed (them), as it is said, "And they sewed fig leaves together, [ The MSS. and the first editions conclude the quotation here.] and made themselves aprons" (Gen. 3:7). Rabbi Eliezer said: From the skin [ So also according to Pal. Targ. Gen. 3:21; and cf. supra, p. 99.] which the serpent sloughed off, the Holy One, blessed be He, took [ The first editions omit “took.”] and made coats of glory [ In the Torah scroll of Rabbi Meir the reading was “coats of light”; see Gen. Rab. 20:12 and Epstein in Monatsschrift, 1884, pp. 343 ff. Cf. supra, p. 98, for the skin of nail, as the covering of glory of the first man.] for Adam and his wife, as it is said, "And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skin, and clothed them" (ibid. 21).
At twilight on Saturday [ Luria holds that this section is out of place. It should be inserted in the previous chapter at the point where the Blessing of the Sabbath occurs. See T.J. Berakhoth 8:6, 12b, on the day of 36 hours, during which the light of the first Sabbath lasted; and cf. Shocher Ṭob, p. 202b.] (evening), Adam was [ The first editions read: “sitting and meditating.”] meditating in his heart and saying: [ The first editions read: “Woe is me, perhaps the serpent which deceived me on the eve of the Sabbath will come and bruise me in the heel.”] Perhaps the serpent, which deceived me, will come in the evening, [ Oxford MS. (e. 76) reads: “deceived me on the eve (before) the termination of the Sabbath” will come.] and he will bruise me in the heel. A pillar of fire was sent to him to give illumination about him and to guard him from all evil. [ See Book of Adam and Eve (ed. Malan) 1. xxix., and T.B. ‘Abodah Ẓarah, 8a.] Adam saw the pillar of fire and rejoiced in his heart, [ The first editions add: “and he said: Now I know that the Omnipresent is with me.”] and he put forth his hands [ Oxford MS. (e. 16) reads: “hand.”] to the light of the fire, and said: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the flames of fire. [ See Singer, p. 216; and see T.B. Berakhoth, 52b; T.B. Pesachim, 53b; T.J. Berakhoth 8:7, 12c; Gen. Rab. 12:6; and cf. Shocher Ṭob, p. 203a.] And when he removed his hands [ Oxford MS. (e. 16) reads: “hand.”] from the light of the fire, [ Oxford MS. (e. 16) and the first editions read: “from the fire”; has our MS. an incorrect reading here?] he said: Now I know that the holy day has been separated from the work day here below (on earth), for fire may not be kindled on the Sabbath day; and in that hour he said: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who divides || the holy from the profane, [ See supra, pp. 126, 138; and cf. Sepher Ha-Manhig, Hilkhoth Shabbath, § 67. The next words are not in the first editions.] the light from the darkness.
Rabbi Mana said: How must [ Lit. “is he obliged.” Siddur Rab ‘Amram, 59b, reads: “How is a man obliged (to perform Habdalah) with the cup of wine? He brings his hand near to the light of the fire.” See also Ravia, ed. Aptowitzer, p. 131, and Or Ẓaru‘a, ii. 24d, § 93. Both hands are to be stretched forth to the light according to our author and the authorities quoted (see Sha‘arê Teshubah, § 102, and Shibbolê Ha-Leḳeṭ (52b), § 130). See Siddur R. ‘Amram, 59a, for the expression to “look at the palms”; cf. Ha-Manhig, § 65, p. 34a. This was the custom of R. Naṭronai. The Mishnah Berakhoth 8:6 deals with the necessity of enjoying the light in order to say the blessing over same; see T.B. Berakhoth, 53b. According to our book the custom of looking at the nails is only to be observed when there is no wine. The Pirḳê de R. Eliezer seems to have the same custom here and in reference to rinsing the cup mentioned infra, p. 146, note 7, as obtained in Sura, and these customs were known to R. Naṭronai.] a man say the Habdalah blessing? (He does this) over the cup of wine, with the light of fire, [ The light will enable him to see the wine in the cup, and then he need not look at his nails, nor put forth his hands to the light; for he has already derived some benefit from the light. If he have no wine, he looks at his nails. On the customs of the Habdalah see T.B. Berakhoth, 33b and 52b, and T.B. Sabbath, 150b, and J.E. vi. pp. 118 ff.] and he says: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the various flames of fire; and when he removes his hand from the fire (flame) he says: Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who divides the holy from the profane.
If he have no wine he puts forth his hands [ This is according to the reading in our MS. The plural occurs also in Oxford MS. (e. 76) and the second edition.] towards the light of the lamp and looks at his nails, [ See Sepher Ha-Orah, i. pp. 57 f., notes 13 and 14, and Machẓor Vitry, 117 f.] which are whiter than his body, and he says: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates various flames of fire; and when he has removed his hands [ The 2nd ed. reads: “hand.” This section is wanting in the 1st ed.] from the fire, he says: Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who divides the holy from the profane.
If he be on a journey, [ The first editions read: “If he have no fire.”] he puts forth his hand [ Oxford MS. (e. 76) reads: “hands.”] to the light of the stars, which are also fire, [ The first editions add: “and he looks at his nails which are whiter than his body.”] and says: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the various flames of fire. If the heavens be darkened, [ Oxford MS. (e. 76) reads: “darkened with clouds.”] he lifts up a stone outside, [ Oxford MS. (e. 76) and the first editions read: “from the earth,” and he obtains a spark by striking the two stones together.] and says: [ See Friedländer, The Jewish Religion, pp. 254, 340, and 343, for the rules of the rite. The 1st ed. reads: “and he performs the Habdalah.” This is also the reading of the Venice edition, which adds: “and he says: Blessed (is He) who separates the holy from the profane.”] Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, who creates the various flames of fire. [ The ritual here set forth is not on all fours with the rules prescribed by the Shulchan ‘Arukh. Spices are not mentioned at all. We should not say the benediction over the light when the light of the stars is the only light available; see T.B. Berakhoth, 52b, and Ṭur, Orach Chayyim, 296 and 297. The following section occurs in the MS. Gaster and in the 2nd ed.: “Rabbi Eliezer said: After a man has drunk the (contents) of the cup of Habdalah, it is a religious privilege and duty to put a little water in the cup (of wine used at the Habdalah), and to drink in order to show that the precepts are beloved, and what remains of the water in the cup should be put over his eyes. Why? Because the Wise Men have said: The (observance of the) ‘remnants’ left over in connection with a religious act keeps back punishments.”]
Rabbi Zadok said: Whosoever does not make Habdalah [ The Oxford MS. (e. 76) and the first editions add: “over wine.”] at the termination of Sabbaths, or does not listen to those who perform the ceremony of Habdalah, will never see a sign [ See supra, p. 138. On the Habdalah see Elbogen, op. cit. pp. 120, 532.] of blessing. [ See T.B. ‘Erubin, 65a, T.B. Shebu’oth, 18b, and Jalḳuṭ, Gen. § 34, and cf. Siddur Rab ‘Amram, § 40, p. 60a, b. A variant reading is to be found in Ṭur, Orach Chayyim, 299] Everyone who makes Habdalah at the termination of Sabbaths, or whosoever hears those who perform the Habdalah, the Holy One, blessed be He, calls him holy to be His holy treasure, and delivers him from the affliction of the peoples, as it is said, "And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy" (Lev. 20:26). [ In the first editions the latter part of this paragraph reads: “Everyone who listens to those who perform the Habdalah or whosoever makes the Habdalah over the wine, the Holy One, blessed be He, acquires him as a treasure, as it is said: ‘I have separated you from the peoples, that ye should be mine’” (Lev. 20:26). The Venice edition adds: “And ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me” (Ex. 19:5). This last reading agrees with Oxford MS. (e. 76), which omits the quotation from Lev. (20:26).] ||
On the first day of the week [ Sunday. On the incident see Israel Lévi’s article in R.É.J. xviii. pp. 86 ff., where it is suggested that our author has used the Arabic, Ethiopic, or the Latin version of the Book of Adam and Eve xxxii.–xxxiv.] he [ The first editions read: “Adam.” See Introduction, p. xlvii.] went into the waters of the upper Gihon [ i.e. the pool of Siloam; cf. 2 Chron. 32:30. See Coptic Apocrypha, p. 245, and cf. Ginzberg, Die Haggada, etc., p. 52.] until the waters reached up to his neck, and he fasted seven weeks of days, [ i.e. forty-nine days. According to T.B. ‘Erubin, 18b, Adam fasted 130 years; see also Ẓohar, Gen. 55a, and T.B. ‘ Abodah Ẓarah, 8a.] until his body became like a species of seaweed. [ The first editions read: “like a sieve.” Our MS. agrees here with the Oxford MS. (e. 76); see Jalḳuṭ, Gen., loc. cit.] Adam said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of all worlds ! Remove, I pray Thee, my sins from me and accept my repentance, and all the generations will learn that repentance is a reality. [ The first editions add: “and that Thou dost accept the repentance of the penitent.”] What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He put forth His right hand, [ This expression is peculiar to our book; it occurs several times, cf. the legend in the Book of Adam and Eve, in A. and P. ii. p. 135.] and accepted his repentance, [ On Adam’s repentance see Tertullian, Against Marcion, ii. 25.] and took away from him his sin, as it is said, "I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid: [ The quotation ends here in the MSS. and in the first editions.] I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah" (Ps. 32:5). Selah [ The last word of the previous verse is Selah, and the verse quoted concludes with Selah. The word is used in the sense of “so be it,” or perhaps it suggests “pardon” (Selach).] in this world and Selah in the world to come. Adam returned [ The Oxford MSS. and the printed texts read: “sat.”] and meditated in his heart, and said: I know that death will remove me [ The first editions read: “he said: For I have said, ‘thou wilt bring me to death and to the house,’ etc.” The text of Job 30:23 reads: “For I know thou wilt bring,” etc. The Oxford MS. (e. 76) reads: “I know that thou wilt bring me to death,” etc.] (to) "the house appointed for all living" (Job 30:28). Adam said: Whilst I am yet alive [ The first editions read: “yet in the world.”] I will [ See the Book of Adam and Eve (ed. Malan) 11. ix. for the death and burial of Adam.] build for myself a mausoleum to rest therein. [ The first editions add here: “beyond Mount Moriah.”] He planned [ The first editions read: “He dug out”: so also in Oxford MSS.] and built for himself a mausoleum to rest therein beyond [ Luria reads: “he went beyond Mount Moriah and dug,” etc.; see Ẓohar, Gen. 57b, and infra, p. 275.] Mount Moriah. Adam said: If in the case of the tables (of stone), just because in the future they will be written by the finger (of God), the waters of the Jordan are destined to flee before them; [ In the days of Joshua.] how much more so will this be the case with my body which His two hands [ See supra, pp. 76 f.; and cf. T.B. Kethuboth, 5a, and Aboth de R. Nathan (a) i. p. 4b. This legend was known to the Church Fathers; see Theophilus, To Autolycus, ii. 18.] kneaded, and because He breathed into my nostrils the breath of the spirit of His mouth? After my death they will come and take my bones, and they will make them into an image for idolatry; [ Here Adam seems to exercise prophetic powers. This agrees with the legend in the Recognitions of Clement, i. 47. Is our author attacking the worship of relics?] but verily I will put || my coffin deep down beneath the cave and within the cave. [ Owing to the power inherent in his divinely shaped and fashioned body, the waters of the Flood would have no power to destroy his remains; see T.B. Baba Bathra, 58a, Gen. Rab. 28:3. The Book of Jashar iii. 14 refers to the burial of Adam in the “cave.” In the Book of Jubilees viii. 19 the Garden of Eden is facing Mount Zion, i.e. Mount Moriah. The three things, according to Jubilees vii. 20, which brought the Flood were, “fornication, uncleanness, and all iniquity.” Cf. T.B. Synhedrin, 74a, for the three cardinal sins, idolatry, immorality, and murder. For a parallel text with slight variations see Midrash Haggadol, c. 122.] Therefore it is called the Cave of Machpelah, which is a double cave. [ See T.B. ‘Erubin, 53a, and Jalḳuṭ, Gen., loc. cit. The legend of the double cave was known to Jerome; see Rahmer, op. cit. p. 36.] There Adam was put and his help-meet, [ On the order of the burials see T.J. Ta’anith iv. 2, 68a; Ẓohar, Num. 164a.] Abraham and his help-meet, Isaac and his help-meet, Jacob and his help-meet. Therefore it is called "the city of four" (Kirjath Arba'); for four pairs (were buried there), [ These words in brackets occur in the Oxford MS. (e. 76). Hippolytus (A.N.C.L. vi. p. 491) mentions eight people buried in the cave. This is another form of the legend of the “four pairs” mentioned in our text.] and concerning them the verse says, "He entereth into peace; they rest in their beds, [ In the MS. and the Midrash Haggadol, loc. cit., the quotation ends here; in the first editions it is continued.] each one that walketh in his up-rightness" (Isa. 57:2). [ See T.B. Kethuboth, 104a. In the first editions instead of helpmeet the names are given, namely, Eve, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah.]